The present invention relates to rodent bait stations in general and to rodent bait stations for consumer use in particular.
Rodenticides can be particularly effective in treating infestations of rodent pests. Bait stations provide an effective mechanism for isolating the rodenticide from children, dogs, other pets, domestic animals, and non-target wildlife. Because the bait associated with the rodenticide can be attractive to non-targeted species, it is desirable to limit access to the rodenticide to dogs, for example, which can devote extended time to gaining entry to a container. Bait stations should not only obstruct the physical entry of the non-targeted species into the station, but also make it difficult for a pet to gain access to the interior by chewing or gnawing on the station. The bait station should also limit the access of children to the bait within.
One solution to making rodenticide baits available to consumers is to construct a disposable bait station which does not have provision for re-baiting and incorporates various features which isolate the bait and protect the bait from access by non-targeted species and pets and children, as described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/983,725, filed on Jan. 3, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference. However, in some circumstances where the domestic situation has a high level of or ongoing rodent infestation, it may be desirable to provide the consumer with a re-baitable bait station which still provides all the features which obstruct the physical access of the non-targeted species to the rodenticide bait, make it difficult for pets to gain access to the interior by chewing or gnawing on the station, and make it difficult for children to gain access to the bait.